voice, I believe that the evangelists and apostles are to furnish us with writings which shall be inspired disclosures of God’s will and our duty.  The Old Testament is as truly God’s word as ever; Christ declared that not one jot or tittle should pass from it, till all be fulfilled.  Some of it is fulfilled, in him, the end of the types; parts of it refer to local and temporary things; all which is not local and temporary is still binding upon us.  At least, the spirit of its laws is benevolent and wise.  Damascus and its scenes are too fresh in the memories of the brethren to need that I should argue the inspiration of the Apostle to the Gentiles.  His miracles are known to us.  Nay, what miracles are we ourselves, reclaimed from the service of the devil, once the worshippers of Bacchus and of our Phrygian mother; now, clothed, and in our right minds.  The Apostle claims to speak and act by divine authority.  We must question everything, if we set aside this claim.

“‘I maintain,’ said he, ’that the Apostle Paul regards the holding a fellow-creature as property to be consistent with Christianity.  To prevent all misunderstanding, however, let me declare that he insists on the golden rule as the law of slave-holding, as of everything else; that he discountenances oppression, that he warns and threatens us with regard to it; and that he considers slave-holding as consistent with the Christian character and happiness of master and slave.

“’In the very Epistle just received by our Church, and by the hands of Tychicus and Onesinius himself, from the Apostle, we find these words:  “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God; and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:  for ye serve the Lord Christ.  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.  Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”

“’Where, in this, is there a word that countenances the wrongfulness of being a slave, or of holding men as slaves?  He directs all his exhortations to the duties which are to be performed in the relation, and he leaves the relation as he finds it.  He does not enjoin slavery; he treats it as something which belongs to society, to government, and he leaves Christianity to regulate it as circumstances shall make it proper.  If any one says that the Apostle was afraid to meddle with it, I reply, that there was never anything yet that Paul was afraid to meddle with, if it was right to do so.  He “meddled” with Diana of the Ephesians and her craftsmen; he “meddled” with the “beasts” there; he “meddled” with idolatry on Mars Hill at Athens, I being witness; he has been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and is now the second time before Nero for his life.  Afraid to “meddle” with slavery!  I am ashamed of the man who makes the suggestion.  He who thinks it, has never yet understood him.